Inclusive education is a complex and problematic concept that raises many questions. A team of prominent academics present fresh and critical perspectives on these issues, drawing upon their global resources and knowledge. The over-arching theme of this book is that social, political, economic and cultural contexts play a central role in determining whether or not inclusive education is implemented in a range of regions and countries around the world. A series of original and provocative conclusions is presented, such as: inclusive education means creating a single system of education, which serves all children inclusive education is a site of conflicting paradigms of children with special needs, centering on a psycho-medical model and a socio-political model while many countries seem committed to inclusive education in their rhetoric, legislation and policies, in practice this often falls short. This major landmark resource is suitable for educational policy makers, researchers, teacher educators, students and international agencies with interests in education.

Race does not only resonate with the dichotomy of blackness and whiteness but also on its impact on non-physical attributes, this includes factors such as indigenous status, social class, religion, language, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality and immigration. The intersection of these factors are key considerations on inclusive education.

The field of special needs education is well established, and although it continues to develop in exciting and controversial ways, involving some of education's leading thinkers, many people feel it is lacking a coherent theoretical analysis of its own. Students and practitioners, looking for some solid theory to reinforce their own study or practice, commonly have to 'borrow' from other disciplines, such as psychology and sociology, since there has been no attempt to provide a theoretical foundation for the special needs community. This book does exactly that, bringing together contributions from key names in the field from UK and beyond. The book will establish itself as an essential text for students and teachers, as well as all those involved in special needs across the social sciences.

Much has been written about special education and about inclusive education, but there have been few attempts to pull these two concepts and approaches together. This book does just that: sets special education within the context of inclusive education. It posits that to include, effectively, all children with special educational needs in schools requires an integration of both concepts, approaches, and techniques. It has never been more timely to publish a book that helps professionals who work with schools, such as psychologists, special education professionals, and counselors, to identify effective practices for children with special needs and provide guidelines for implementing these in inclusive schools.

This book engages readers with real-world scenarios and critical reviews on the growth of inclusive education around the world. It investigates education, equity, and the sociocultural differences in public education systems.